Where to Go This Weekend: Cedarburg, Wisconsin

If you’ve ever thought about making the drive to historic Cedarburg, just 20 miles north of Milwaukee on I-43, the coming weekend may be the time to go. The town will be decked out in its holiday best and hosting one of the nation’s premiere juried folk art and craft festivals…

By Catey Sullivan

Published Nov. 26, 2012

Need a new ornament? This town’s got just the bauble.

Christmastown, U.S.A.

If you’ve ever thought about making the drive to historic Cedarburg, just 20 miles north of Milwaukee on I-43, the coming weekend may be the time to go. The town will be decked out in its holiday best and hosting one of the nation’s premiere juried folk art and craft festivals.

The annual Christmas in the Country event features original works—including ornaments, fiber arts, home décor, and jewelry—crafted by artists from across the country. You can browse the goods in two locales: the Cedar Creek Winery (N70 W6340 Bridge Rd.) and the Cedarburg Cultural Center (W62 N546 Washington Ave.). Christmas in the Country runs 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2. Admission $3; for more information, click here or go to mychristmasinthecountry.com.

Local artists will be exhibiting their work this weekend as well: At the Cedarburg Community Center (W63 N641 Washington Ave.), the Cedarburg Artists’ Guild annual Holiday Art Fair will include paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, beaded glass works, ceramics, copper yard art, and holiday décor, among other items. The exhibit runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Free; for more information, go to cedarburgartistsguild.com.

A free trolley will transport shoppers to Christmas in the Country and the Artists’ Guild event. You may also want to walk along Washington Avenue, the town’s main drag, which is packed with boutiques and galleries. Nearly every building on the street has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

GOCedarburg, Wisconsin. For more information go to cedarburg.org or call the visitors’ center at 262-377-5856.

Where to stay: There are two places to stay in Cedarburg, and each is filled with atmosphere and antiques. The Stagecoach Inn (W61 N520 Washington Ave., 262-375-0208, stagecoach-inn-wi.com) has 12 rooms in what was once a boarding house for stagecoach traffic; rates range from $100 to $160 a night. The Washington House Inn (W62 N573 Washington Ave., 262-375-3550, washingtonhouseinn.com) is a luxuriously updated 126-year-old building that was Cedarburg’s first inn; rates range from $125 to $345 a night.

Where to eat: The Silver Creek Brew Pub (N57 W6172 Portland Rd., 262-375-4444, silvercreekbrewing.com) has been brewing craft beers in-house for nearly a decade. The Farmstead Restaurant (N62 W238 Washington Ave., 262-375-2655) is known for its excellent steaks, grilled fish, and garlic mashed potatoes, all served in a 150-year-old fieldstone farmhouse.